Everlasting
by shuusetsu
Summary: Everyday, a twenty-five year old Takahashi Misaki would come to Usami Akihiko's home. The brunette acted as the man's right-hand after the author injured his hand. Most of the time, the two would just sit near the huge window. Usami, telling his novel ideas. Misaki typing them. Somewhere along the lines, Usami Akihiko would notice the young man teary-eyed for no reason. (one shot)


**Everlasting**

* * *

Misaki was staring down at the macbook on his lap. His fingers were frozen on the already sweaty keyboard. The brunette even doubted he'd be able to continue typing the way he was.

"Hey...are you listening?" asked the deep and somehow annoyed voice. "I just said a line of the main character."

"Eh?" Misaki gulped and tried remembering. He couldn't though. Sure he was now a full-pledged adult, but his memory seemed to not have improved at all.

"Ah...damn it..." the older man said aloud. He angrily looked at his bandaged hand back to the twenty-five year-old guy his editor hired as his literal 'right-hand'. "Having hurt my hand like this, I can't even type my own stories and you...young man are being paid. So stop spacing out will you and type the things I say."

Takahashi Misaki nodded and calmed himself. "Sorry...Usami-san...let's continue please..."

The man called Usami sighed and looked outside the window. The sky was an amazing blue hue with the occasional fluffy clouds passing by. Even the somehow dry air coming in from the open windows didn't have the discomfort summer heat usually brought.

"Ano..." Misaki called, sheepishly smiling. "Have you already thought of the title sensei?"

"No...can't think of anything yet..." the man replied crossing his arms.

"I see..."

"Then let's continue," Usami said as he sunk into working mode.

For a long moment, Usami just remained silent. His pretty eyes were closed, his lips slightly open. It was as if he was seeing behind his closed lids. A pretty story that he wanted to tell the world. A pretty, different story that perhaps, only a few would be able to appreciate. After all, it wasn't any normal love story. It wasn't even about just any normal people.

Misaki raised his trembling hands over the keyboard and braced himself.

"The night was cold...His heart as well..." Usami started. "One by one, the snow came falling down on him, like ball of needles piercing his skin down to his heart. The man he loved in secret for so many years was getting married...there was no news more painful than that..."

Misaki silently typed. Each word, each pauses, each emotion, he poured it from his finger tips down to the device.

"He wanted to cry but he didn't want to at the same time. He was able to hold it in for so many years. He knew his bestfriend would settle down sooner or later," Usami continued, finally opening his eyes slowly. "It would have been better if he was alone in that dark street. He wouldn't look as lame. But he heard the sound of soft footsteps nearing...the sound of raspy breathing from running..."

Usami shortly glanced at the young man typing. "Is it too fast, did you get everything I just said just now?"

"Ah..." Misaki nodded. "Hai..."

The silver-haired man slightly frowned before looking outside again.

"When he looked towards the sound of footsteps, he saw a smaller figure. That stupid kid looked like he was about to cry..." Usami raised his bandaged right-hand and sighed. "That secretive man was the broken hearted person there, but the kid was the one crying..."

Takahashi Misaki smiled on his own. He refused to give in and let his tears be seen so he looked down, pretending to focus on what he was typing.

"The two of them did not say anything for a long while. The child was still a child. He didn't have any qualms of showing his expressions and was not afraid to be read easily," Usami said narrowing his eyes. "He looked at the broken man straight in the eyes and said..."

"You can cry if you want to..." Misaki whispered.

Usami Akihiko abruptly turned to the direction of the young man on the left-side of his recliner. His lavender eyes wide.

"You...how did you..."

"Ah!" Misaki forced a laugh while scratching the back of his head like some idiot. "Didn't you notice Usami-san? You said it aloud already..."

"I didn't. I was just about to say it," Usami sternly said as he eyed the young man suspiciously.

"Usami-san you really said it aloud," Misaki pointed with conviction. "There's no way I could hear your thoughts and know what's your story about, is there?"

The older man rested his back against the back rest without removing his gaze from the sweating young man. His scrutinizing eyes made Misaki more nervous.

"Well...of course there isn't..." Usami mumbled more to himself. "Then...let's continue."

* * *

The afternoon summer passed by in an instant and Takahashi Misaki was finally done with his so-called part-time job. He made sure that the file was saved and made sure there was a copy saved in a flash drive and a cd. His boss didn't want to risk losing his new idea for a story.

After some time, Takahashi Misaki went over the living room again to say his good-bye for the day. Instead, he saw his boss, Usami Akihiko on the recliner. The man seemed to have dozed off while the brunette was making copies inside the studyroom.

Misaki walked over the sleeping form and took the thin , white blanket at the end of the recliner. He slowly placed it over the sleeping man gently, with so much care.

"..."

The young man didn't notice that his eyes already betrayed him. Huge tears rolled down his cheeks. His face flushed, his fingers trembling as he gave the blanket a final tug to secure it over the man.

The piercing lavender eyes fluttered open unexpectedly.

"The hell are you crying about?" Usami asked. "...and while even putting this thing on me?"

"Er..." Misaki sniffed and grinned. "I just..."

The man sat, the blanket slipping off of him. He massaged the bridge of his nose for some time and looked at his wrist watch.

"It's almost seven. Go home already."

"Y-yes..." Misaki nodded. "I'll come back at the same time tomorrow then sensei..."

The brunette slowly turned his back.

"Takahashi...Misaki?" Usami called.

Misaki looked behind him.

"Your question earlier...I already know what I want for a title."

"...?"

The young brunette watched the man's lips. Read them and felt that something just squeezed his heart. He felt sad. He felt happy. Truthfully, if he could, he would have bawled in front of the man. But he couldn't. He just couldn't.

"It...it fits perfectly...Usami-sensei..."

"Thanks..." Usami smiled. "Take care going home."

"See you tomorrow."

It was a miracle how Misaki managed to just act normal. From calmly walking out the penthouse. From calmly waiting for the elevator. From calmly walking down the night streets going in the opposite direction of the commuters.

But right after he closed the door of his own rented room, painful sobs escaped his lips.

* * *

"Misaki-chan..." Aikawa called with worry on her face. "Isn't this painful? What you're doing..."

The twenty-five year old Takahashi Misaki only gave a small smile. He had decided this already and he won't change his mind.

"I won't give up on him Aikawa-san..."

Aikawa bit her bottom lip and raised her arms. Before Misaki knew it, the woman editor had already grabbed him into a very tight hug.

"I'm sorry Misaki-chan...why must this happen to the two of you...?"

Misaki looked up the ceiling. His own tears welling.

_Yeah...why must this happen to them indeed?_

"It's alright Aikawa-san...in fact...I still feel blessed..."

Aikawa hugged the young man tighter. Misaki laughed softly, remembering what that precious man had said earlier.

_"I already know what I want for a title."_

_"...?"_

_"Immeasurable..."_

_"Uhm..." _the young man took a step closer. _"May I ask why?"_

_"Nothing really serious," _Usami replied. _"Well, this story in my head is about something that goes past changes and forever. And somehow...I think their love is something like that."_

"_It...it fits perfectly...Usami-sensei..." _

Misaki was able to say that calmly. But to him, it was like the best confession he received, given their situation.

"I really still feel blessed Aikawa-san..."

The young man buried his face against his friend's shoulders.

Takahashi Misaki closed his eyes. What is love? Just what is it? He'd been ask of this a couple of times because of his dedication to someone who had no memory of him anymore. A bitter-sweet smile crossed his face. His answer was already different from the wishy-washy, fairy-tale like responses from the mangas he helped to edit.

_"Love...is when there's only sadness and pain being with that person...but you still want to be with him anyway..."_

Aikawa could only give her friend a hug. There was nothing else to say. She could only salute to the young man's resilience.

"Misaki-chan..."

"Even with Alzheimer's disease...Even when he's slowly forgetting things one by one...Even when he's already forgotten everything about me...Usagi-san still tells our story..."

"..."

"Is it not a proof that I am loved dearly...?"

* * *

**chapter end notes:**

this is probably one of the shortest ones shot i've ever written in my life. hahahaa XD

please share your thoughts!

-shuusetsu

ps. a blcd trans is up in my tumblr XD


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